Book chapter
Viral Tracers for the Analysis of Neural Circuits
Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing 3, pp.263-303
Springer US
2006
DOI: 10.1007/0-387-28942-9_9
Abstract
Viral transneuronal tracing can be used to analyze neural circuits in the central nervous system (CNS). In particular, the pseudorabies virus (PRV) strain Bartha, an attenuated form of a pig alphaherpesvirus, is an excellent retrograde transneuronal tracer for labeling neural networks. This virus is transported from the axon terminal to the cell body of an infected neuron and enters the nucleus. There, it replicates, producing progeny virions that are distributed throughout the cytoplasm. These new viruses are then transferred into the axon terminals of second-order neurons that innervate the infected neuron, and the process is repeated. This technique has been used to analyze CNS networks involving chains of two or more functionally connected neurons. Due to the high sensitivity of viral transneuronal labeling, false-positive data can be generated, leading to potential pitfalls of interpretation—examples are discussed in this chapter. Protocols for growing PRV and viral tracing methodology are included.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Viral Tracers for the Analysis of Neural Circuits
- Creators
- Joel C Geerling - Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. LouisThomas C Mettenleiter - Institute of Molecular Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, GermanyArthur D Loewy - Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Publication Details
- Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing 3, pp.263-303
- DOI
- 10.1007/0-387-28942-9_9
- Publisher
- Springer US; Boston, MA
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2006
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984070736502771
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